Tail Tied
by Robyn Hood
Summary: Azazel teaches Margali Szardos an old Neyaphem trick to controlling unruly children, six months after showing up in young teenage Kurt's life and becoming a part of it. He and Margali are now dating as well.


"Kurt, shut you mouth." Azazel warned his belligerent, smart-alec son.

"I don't have to do what you tell me! I'm sixteen! Almost an adult! Plus, you didn't raise me. You have no say over me!" Kurt argued.

"Kurt, listen to your father and _hush_." Margali interjected. The three of them had been arguing for at least the past fifteen minutes, and all the yelling was giving her a headache.

"Then _act_ like it!" Azazel hissed at Kurt. "And yes, I was there, but I thought we were _over this_!" His tail flicked angrily behind him. Nothing would please him more right now than kick that boy's butt and teach him a lesson about respect.

Kurt jabbed a stubby finger in Margali's direction. "_She_ won't let me!" He accused, golden eyes glowering. He did not like the way Margali babied him. He was through with it. "But you can't come in _now_ and start acting like you're my father and telling me what to do! It doesn't work that way, Azazel!"

"Kurt Aleric Wagner!" Margali yelled, insulted. How dare he speak to her and Azazel that way. She was just about to slap Kurt when Azazel interrupted.

"I _am_ your father and I _can_ tell you what to do!" Azazel replied, keeping a check on his temper. He was fed up. Nothing got through this boy's thick skull. He was in that rebellious stage, Azazel guess.

Kurt screamed back, but Azazel wasn't paying much attention. He'd made up his mind what he was going to do. He crossed to Kurt, who backed away from him defensively. "Kurt," Azazel said calmly and evenly, "Come here."

"No!" Kurt took a few steps backwards, actually a little scared of what his father might do now.

"Come. Here." Azazel still didn't yell. He spoke calmly, and that's what scared Kurt the most.

"No." Kurt's resolve was wavering. Azazel was terrifying him now.

"All right then." Azazel conceded. "Margali," he said, without turning to look at her, "watch carefully." He teleported behind Kurt and grabbed the boy's tail, expertly twisting it into some strange knot.

Kurt cried out in surprise and a little pain as his tail was manipulated into an unnatural position, and then his body went limp. Azazel helped Kurt to on the floor and continued to hold the knot of a tail in one hand. "What did you do to me?" Kurt screamed, eyes wide. He couldn't move at all. Not one muscle. It seemed only his facial muscles were left unaffected. The rest of him lay limp as a rag doll.

"This is what Neyaphem parents do to misbehaving children." Azazel explained. "It's a weak spot. Tie the tail just right and it paralyzes them. They can't move."

"I wish I'd known that _years_ ago," Margali marveled, thinking of all the times she could have reprimanded Kurt so much easier and kept him out of trouble.

Kurt laid helplessly on the floor, looking at his mother desperately. He hoped maybe he could win some sympathy points and make Azazel stop whatever it was he was doing. "Mama, help me. Make him stop." He pleaded.

"And if you don't want to hear him whine," Azazel gave Kurt's tail a jerk and held it higher. Kurt grunted and his rear end was now raised into the air by his tail. "Just do this." Azazel grinned. "Try to say something, Kurt."

Kurt already was, but he couldn't form words. He couldn't do anything. He could only star blankly and blink.

"Wow," Margali breathed. "That's amazing." She paused for a moment and enjoyed the silence. "My, this sure is nice, isn't it? No yelling."

Azazel gave a sly smile back and tugged Kurt's tail again, just for the heck of it. "It is. What shall we do now, my dear? Most Neyaphem parents take this opportunity to switch their children, but we don't have to do that."

Kurt grunted, but it was more of an involuntary thing, as his tail was pulled again. He really hoped he was not going to get switched.

Margali looked at poor Kurt and laughed. "No, I think he's had enough. Is there anyway we could tie his tail to stay like that or something?"

Azazel surveyed his helpless son, then looked back up at Margali. "I suppose we could find a way."

Kurt did not find any of this funny. If he could talk, he would have been asking them to stop and promising good behavior from now on, even though he was seething mad.

"Good." Margali smiled again, then raised an eyebrow as a thought popped into her mind. "Say, that doesn't work on _adult_ Neyahpem, does it?"

Kurt would have screamed if he could have.

Azazel's eyebrows rose for a second, then he laughed. "You won't get a chance to find out."

Margali crossed her arms and smiled deviously. "We'll see about that."

_Ach, Himmel, no_.! Kurt thought. _Please don't do that with me here. Please don't forget I'm here. Stop talking like that. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! _

Azazel smiled back, then looked down at Kurt. "You think I should let him up now?"

Margali sighed dramatically. "I _suppose_ so. If we have to. I guess we wouldn't be good parents to just _leave_ him, now would we?"

"I don't think it would be too bad. He could use some time out." Azazel responded, looking down at poor Kurt again.

"He probably could, but I think he can get up now." Margali decided, jokes aside.

Azazel released Kurt's tail and let him fall flat on the floor.

Kurt pushed himself off the floor, eyes wide. "I…I'm sorry, Mama, Papa. I won't do it again. Just, please, don't do that again. Please. I didn't like it." He stammered.

"You weren't supposed to. That's why it's punishment." Azazel answered dryly.

"Yes. Um, I'll be good now. I promise. I guess I'll just go to my room now." Kurt dropped his head and stared at his feet, but glanced up at his mother for approval.

"All right. But no computer, no phone, no nothing. You're grounded." Margali slipped her hand under his chin and brought his head up to face her. "Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right. Now go." Margali pointed to his bedroom door.

Kurt turned around, but held his tail in his hand. He didn't want them grabbing it and twisting it again. He hurried to his room. "I'm…I'm sorry." He apologized again.

"We know. To your room, Kurty." She pointed again.

Kurt obeyed and shut his door.

"Care for some tea?" Margali asked Azazel.

"Sure." He shrugged and followed her to the kitchen.

"Perhaps I could practice that move, hm?" She mentioned, nonchalantly.

Azazel was caught off guard. "What? No."

Margali turned and smiled at him slyly. "Some other time, then." She set out two mugs.

Azazel wasn't sure what she was offering, but he decided it was best just to keep his mouth shut for now and nod.


End file.
